Kenyan boy Stephen Wamukota lives in Bungoma County in the west of the country. The boy recently became famous across the country for his invention. The nine-year-old boy was honored with a presidential award after he came up with a hand-washing device to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in his country.
James, Stephen’s father, told reporters that they were watching the news on TV in April. Authorities said it was now mandatory for everyone to wash their hands with soap and water. That’s when Wamukota came up with his invention.
The semi-automatic machine was built using wood, nails and a water cistern. The machine has pedals: one to squeeze out the soap and the other to release water from the cistern. This allows people to wash their hands without touching any surfaces.
Stephen’s design has been very well liked by Kenyans. He received a huge amount of positive feedback.
The news about the boy even reached the President. The head of state awarded him a scholarship, thanks to which Wamukota will be able to get primary and secondary education.
Bungoma Governor @GovWWangamati & senator @Cleophasmalala committed to scout for a special school that will help narture the creative talent of Stephen Wamukota, the 9 year-old who grabbed global headlines for pioneering a home-made hand-washing & sanitizer-dispensing machine. pic.twitter.com/6RPNNFZ9Wl
— County Digital News (@CountyDigitalKe) May 15, 2020